Christopher W. Shanahan, MD MPH FACPAssistant Professor of Medicine , Dept. of Medicine, BUSM

Section of General Internal Medicine

Electronic Tools for Time Management• eMail Jail: Get Out & Stay Out• Advanced eMail Methods

Outline

• Triage!!!– Email Jail: Get out & Stay Out

• The Problem – Another Look– Basic Principles

• Using Electronic Tools Effectively– An Information Management System– Tactics– Effective Reference System– Efficient Environment / Automation– Personal eMail policy

How did I get here?

Triage !!!

eMail Jail

Using Electronic Tools Effectively

eMail Jail

• Definition– The inability to send eMail due to the fact that

the IT guys have limited your mailbox size. Indication of eMail Jail is the message 'your mailbox is over the size limit'. Cursing the IT guys does not get you out of eMail jail.

• Cause:– Outlook used as File Cabinet a/o ‘To Do List” – Poorly tuned Auto-Archive settings– Sending / Receiving lots of very large file

attachments

http://www.urbandictionary.com

Steps to Freedom• Admit you have a problem• Tell yourself the truth• Commit to changing your behavior…EVERYDAY• Use the past to automate the future• Commit to do it better…EVERYDAY

Get Out of eMail Jail

Key Commitment 1Create a new folder called “JAIL”

– Move all your eMail into it– Process it over time

• Is it still needed?• Delete / Act / Answer• Use advanced eMail methods

Get Out of eMail Jail

Work down Jail Mail everyday until gone

Determine a Daily Goal

Daily # of eMail to Process

=# of eMail in Jail

# workdays to complete

Daily # of eMail to Process

=2500

10= 250 messages

Key Commitment 2 - Zero your Inbox

Deal with every eMail by end of every workday till gone

• YOU MUST ACT–Is it still needed? No? Delete it.–Do (Answer or Ask or Own)

• Use advanced eMail methods

Get Out of eMail Jail

Zero your Inbox - Go on a DieteMail In & eMail Out Shrink Inbox

Don’t invite it or let it in……Get rid of it faster

• Opt-out of listserves, eMail lists, newsletters• Use and Turn up sensitivity on Spam filters

Delete…Delete…DeleteAct…Act

File

Get Out of eMail Jail

Deal with Daily eMailZero your Inbox - Daily

• Daily Actions– Delete (Sort group delete)– Store (File it)– Act

• Respond• Convert to task (Flag)

1. Ask & track response (Follow) or 2. Own it & Do it (Convert to a Task)

• Automate– Maintain your “Blocksender” list– Create & Tune Filters

One eMail at a Time - Quickly

Learn to quickly turn valuable messages into actions or action placeholders

1. What does this message mean to me, and why do I care?

2. What action, if any, does this message require of me?

3. What’s the most elegant (& fastest) way to close out this message & the action it contains?

50% fail 1st question delete. Most of remainder fail 2nd question 1-2 line reply

Decide What Information to Keep or DeleteFour Simple Tests…

• Relates to your objectives? – If No…Delete

• Can be found elsewhere– e.g. SharePoint site, intranet, Internet? – If Yes…Delete

• Likely to refer to within 6 months? – If No…Delete

• Need to keep for legal / HR reasons? – If No…Delete

Maybe, but… All eMail is not created equal• One to One

– For you ….Worth your time. – Usually…a Question, Request, or Communication– Probably need to take action

• One to Few– eMail applies to you, but may not require action. – No rush to read it. (…That moment…)

• One to Many– May or may not…

• Be relevant to you, require action, be worth your time. – To determine if applies to you may waste Your time

The Problem – Another Look

Overwhelming eMail: Symptom of a Bigger Problem

Too much “X” for allotted time & approach

• Everything can not be done• Priorities

– Define– Actions must relate

Basic Principles

• Optimize work environment• Eliminate repetitive activities

• Do Today’s Work Today• Touch a Document only once

Using Electronic Tools Effectively

Tools for the Job

An Information Management System

eMailCommunication

CalendarScheduling

NotesReference

ContactsReference

To do listTasks

CORE Information Management

System

Tactics• eMail

– Create Actions– Send to Reference

• To Do (Task) List– Use daily / Prioritize ruthlessly– Delegate / Outsource– Break large tasks into smaller tasks

• Calendar– Make appointments with yourself &

others– Link to Tasks

Use the Right Tool for the JobAvoid the eMail Web Client.

www.myBMC.org

Maintain & Improve

Create an Effective Structure

Focus & Do Job

Zero Inbox

Reference System

Understand Structure

Use Tools

Policy

Understand Policy

Follow Rules

Dealing with eMail System... Discipline …

Reference vs. Action Information

• Often Confused • Difference is Important

Reference Information

• Not required to carry out an action • Keep to refer to later • Stored in a reference system

–e-mail reference folders–My Documents folder–company intranet sites–File cabinets

• Data required to complete an action• Store with the action on either….

To-do list vs. Calendar Do not store in eMail

Action Information

Create an Effective Reference System• Align/Build Folder Structure

(A Filing System)–Based on most important activities

(Objectives & Projects)–maintain professional connection &

focus–Same system used for storing both

Documents & eMail

File Folders Email Folders

Create an Effective Reference System

• Facilitates tracking / flagging eMail for follow-up• Makes it easy to decide:

– What to delete, What to keep, Where to keep it– Makes it easy to find saved eMail

• Makes is possible to deal with attached documents– File Remove

• Create a logical filing and naming system• Use dates & version numbers

Track eMail Tasks

• Create Colored Categories indicating what to do with/about eMail

• Read/Do • Read/Respond• Waiting on Them• Hold/Limbo

– Sort on these Categories• Track emails sent that request responses or

actions of others

Create an Efficient Environment

• Activate & Configure Reading Pane• Sort eMail Folder View

– Date / Conversation / Category – Colors / Flag / Group

• Create – A Favorites Folder– Search Folders– Shortcuts

• Set up Resources

Configure the eMail Client

Optimize the View• View Navigation

Pane– View Favorites

• View Reading Pane

• View To-Do Bar• Arrange eMail

Create Folders• In Outlook

• Storage• Search folders• Pin key folders to

Favorites• In My Documents

Personal eMail Policy

Do…• Stop Auto-check, Desktop display, & Audio alerts

– Turn off or set to 30 - 60 min• Aim for Zero Inbox by end of every day

– Schedule time to answer eMail received • Touch each eMail ONLY once

– Categorize everything that is saved– Assign a color to every category

• Take action– Do (Read, Think, Write, Speak) / Delegate / Defer for later response /

Delete / Archive– When responding to eMail:

• Do so immediately ONLY if < 2 minutes or so important can’t wait• Write less (Less is more)• Sometimes a phone call is better

Personal eMail policy

Do NOT...• Use Inbox as a “To Do List.”   • Use Inbox as a filing cabinet.  • Read / Answer eMail all day long or

during most productive time of day.– e.g. First thing in AM

- Look for interruptions by checking eMail on demand.

Deal with Attached Documents

Information in eMail not important, – Save document in My Documents (G: Drive)– Delete e-mail message

Information in eMail important– Save document in My Documents (G: Drive)– Save in eMail in Outlook Folder reference system.

Document not meaningful without e-mail– save both in your e-mail reference system– minimize to avoid storage issues

Be Efficient• Use Short cuts

– Ctrl-N, Ctrl-R, Ctrl-F, Ctrl-Shift R, Ctrl-D

• Be even more efficient• Convert eMail immediately:

– Into actions » (Tasks)

– Into action place holders » (e.g. Appointments)

Automate• Create rules “on-the-fly”• Junk mail

–“Block Senders list”• Regular eMail

–Tune & Maintain• Search Folders• Auto-archiving

Customize….Even More!

• Enhance the Tool Bar• Create Categories

–Expand / Collapse Button• Assign Colors to Categories• Create a Resources Folder

More Information• Where to learn more or get help

– Microsoft at Work–http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/default.as

px

– Microsoft Office On-line: Help and How-to–http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/defaul

t.aspx

–BU Subscription to Element K• http://www.bumc.bu.edu/bumc-oit/webinfo/e

lementk/

Questions?